While spring rainstorms swirled around Dallas-Fort Worth on a recent Saturday night, Gilley’s Dallas reined in one of the city’s most hot-to-trot crowds for Equest’s milestone 45th Anniversary Blue Ribbon Gala.
The sold-out April 25 event drew 600 supporters - outfitted in swingy sequin frocks and polished cowboy boots - to honor more than four decades of transforming lives through equine-assisted therapies and activities.
Chaired by Melinda and Mark Knowles, with Lynn McBee serving as honorary chair, the gala glittered a little more than usual - no surprise with event designer Steve Kemble overseeing a “Run for the Roses” theme. Guests stepped into a dramatic sea of red, with cascading roses, luxe linens, and a whimsical cowboy boot-shaped disco ball setting a glamorous Texas-meets-Kentucky Derby tone.
The evening began with cocktails and silent auction bidding before guests sat for a three-course dinner. After the Rev. Kenneth H. Brannon offered the invocation, mistress of ceremonies Calvert Collins-Bratton guided the program, which included a Color Guard presentation, moving client testimonials, and fundraising opportunities led by auctioneer Louis Murad.
One of the evening’s most poignant moments came when Equest co-founder Susan Schwartz and Adam Telessy of Fred Astaire Dance Studios performed a memorial dance tribute. Schwartz returned to honor Leslie and Hawkins Golden with the Founders Award.
Equest CEO Eric Lindh presented the 2026 Citation Award to Carol Huckin and gave the crowd of patrons and supporters a vision of the future of the organization.
Equest’s guiding message — “Humans. Horses. Hope.” — was woven throughout the night. The organization, founded in 1981, provides equine-facilitated therapies, counseling, and therapeutic horsemanship to children and adults with physical, cognitive, sensory, and learning disabilities, as well as veterans through its Hooves for Heroes program. In 2025 alone, Equest directly served 727 individuals and reached more than 1,500 others through outreach and education, they say.
After an evening celebrating Equest’s 45 years of impact, guests took to the dance floor to the sounds of Jordan Kahn's Manhattan Orchestra.
Among those in attendance were committee members, including: Underwriting co-chairs Nancy Carlson, Alison Malone, and Stacey Walker; auction co-chairs Maggie Cooke Kipp and Nancy Gopez; patron party chair Amy Turner; reservation chair Bonner Allen; and hundreds of VIPs and supporters including Chuck Steelman, Julie Moran, Daniel Valentine, Sarah Valentine, Denise Vrana, Tad Vrana, Anne Ray, Robert Ray, Fonda Arbetter, Shelly Hammer, Carol Huckin, Paige Locke, Chuck Locke, Lisa Laughlin, Peter Weeks, Kay Weeks, Ashling Besgen, Matthew Besgen, Blake Frye, Heather Wiese, Callie Wade, Amanda Gadison, Amy Green, Luis Araujo, Karla Noone, Andrew Noone, Kevin Ward, Meredith McKay, John Riveria, Nico Zevallos, Mackenzie Sork, William Avondet, Harley Cozewith, Blane Balch, and many more.
Photo by Tamytha Cameron
Nancy Gopez, Lynn McBee, Steve Kemble, Maggie Cooke Kipp
The chef from SER prepares activated charcoal-crusted Akaushi ribeye cap and Yukon Gold potato fondant.Photo by Guillermo Rosas
Lavender berry and mocha chocolate tartlets from La Reve Gelato & Patisserie.Photo by Guillermo Rosas
Awards ceremony host Cleo Greene, of NBC5's 'Texas Today.'Photo by Guillermo Rosas